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4
Heathcliff
PARKER
“Heathcliff,” Professor Tillman says as he stands by his ancient podium with a copy of Wuthering Heights open before him. “Today, we’ll be taking on Heathcliff who’s a little more of a darker character than our dear Dorian Gray.”
I pull out my notebook and pencil to make notes on anything that piques my interest.
“Brontë did the impossible when she wrote Wuthering Heights. She made Heathcliff both the villain and romantic interest,” Professor Tillman says. “What I find extraordinary is that over the years Heathcliff’s character has been labeled a Sociopath or a vicious Psychopath. Back in the Victorian Era, there was no proper definition of what a Sociopath and Psychopath were.”
The room is in silence as Tillman walks around thinking silently to himself as he slips his hands into his pockets.
“People adore Heathcliff. They empathize with his character but find him vile at the same time. He has been depicted as abusive, sadistic, and almost Satanic.”
There’s laughter and murmuring around the classroom and he smiles. “Not Satanic like devil-worshiping. Several times throughout the novel, Heathcliff has been described as being dark which attributes to his devilish, cruel nature. Even his wife Isabella”— Tillman glances into his book—” in Chapter 11 believed him to be‘The black villain, a lying fiend, a monster and not a human being!’Even as a baby he is described as being The Imp of the Devil or better yet just devilish.” Tillman taps the tip of his pencil against the book. “There is almost a demonic relationship between Catherine and Heathcliff. Such a powerful love, yet so dark and cruel. Possessive. Everything dark you can think of, this book captures it perfectly.”
Heathcliff. I can’t help but feel pain and love for his character. I can feel his suffering deep in my chest.
Professor Tillman turns to the class. “Can anyone tell me what kind of hero Heathcliff is exactly?”
The class is silent, so I decide to lift my hand and Professor Tillman smiles widely almost pleased that someone has been reading their work.
“Yes, Miss Kelleher.”
“Heathcliff belongs to the Byronic Hero category,” I say.
“Excellent! Can you tell us why?”
I clear my throat before answering and try to ignore the fact that everyone’s eyes are on me. “Because a Byronic hero was described as dark, brooding and is usually ostracized from society which fits Heathcliff’s character.”
“Precisely. Good work Miss Kelleher.” Tillman turns back to the class. “One of the biggest questions that my past students always asked me was whether Heathcliff was villain or victim.”
“And I always tell them the same thing,” Tillman says. “No one is born a villain. They are made into one. In his case, Heathcliff is frequently ill-treated, when Hindley becomes master of the Earnshaw house.”
“How can Heathcliff be portrayed as a romantic hero when he wanted revenge on Catherine too?” a blonde-haired girl from the front row asks. “He was sadistic and cruel. Nothing about him was romantic.”
“Good question. That is the tragedy of Heathcliff, because of Catherine’s rejection and his suffering at the hands of Hindley and Edgar Linton, Heathcliff leaves Wuthering Heights and returns a changed man. He is prosperous and exactly the kind of man Catherine would want. But Heathcliff’s character is driven by two important things: revenge and his desire for Catherine, who he cannot yet have because his need for revenge and control is greater,” Tillman explains. “Catherine was in love with Heathcliff, but from overhearing her conversation with Nelly Dean about how she can’t possibly marry Heathcliff because he is of a lower class and lacks social ethics, Heathcliff leaves and returns the man Cathy always wanted, but now can’t have.”
“As Miss Kelleher said.” He points out to me. “Heathcliff is a Byronic hero. He is a romantic hero with darker character traits. He is driven by revenge and his obsession with Catherine Earnshaw. We can sympathize with his past and the way he became.”
The class silently takes notes while I find myself feeling oddly attracted to Heathcliff’s dark character.
“Does anyone else have any questions?” Professor Tillman asks as he looks at his watch.
There are a few murmurs and no exact answer so he goes over to his desk and starts packing his black case.
“We can wrap up this class then. I hope you all take the time to read deeper into the story and we’ll pick up from there next time,” he says and everyone starts rushing out of the classroom as if they can hardly stand being in it any longer.
I leave class too, my mind haunted by the darkness and cruelty of Heathcliff and his insensitive attitude towards everyone including Catherine. It almost reminds me of Hudson.
It’s the first thing I think about as I read further into Heathcliff’s character. Cold, withdrawn, and driven. It’s all too familiar. But what could be Hudson’s reason for being so callous? I know he had a hard childhood. I don’t know any more than that.
Heathcliff is simply a character in a book written a long time ago, Hudson on the other hand, is real.
I’m so lost in my thoughts that I don’t see where I’m going and walk right into someone.
When I look up I see Blake standing there. I hadn’t seen this asshole ever since that night in Ryder’s bar, yet here he is outside my literature class.
